Peace Through Strength
The words of President Ronald Reagan echo truth into 2022: “We know all too well that war comes, not when the forces of freedom are strong, it is when they are weak that tyrants are tempted.” Indeed, his words from the past accurately describe the present horrors of Russia at war with innocent Ukraine.
Under the banner of lies spewed by Putin, Russia invaded Ukraine and thousands of innocent people have been violently killed. Vladimir Putin is a murderous, evil dictator who believes he can do anything. This tyranny must be stopped. So far the Biden administration has done practically nothing.
At the most basic level, we need to help our allies with supplies. We need to strengthen our military and defense. It is time to finally become energy independent through our country’s own vast resources. And we need to command a strong presence among world leaders.
It’s time for the United States to lead like Ronald Reagan: We must lead by peace through strength.
President Reagan described the role of the United States so well: “Meeting this mission, this responsibility for preserving the peace which, I believe is a responsibility peculiar to our country, that we cannot shirk our responsibility as the leader of the free world because we’re the only one that can do it. And, therefore, the burden of maintaining the peace falls on us. And to maintain that peace requires strength. America has never gotten an award because we were too strong.”
In this edition, we are grateful for the opportunity to feature an article by Karna Small Bodman, who served as President Reagan’s director of his National Security Council staff. We encourage you to read her insightful article featured in this edition; you will learn more about how President Reagan’s wise policy of peace through strength would influence today’s current events.
We all need to pray for Ukraine, the United States, and the world. We need to vote this November for leaders who support the principles of peace through strength and a strong America. We need to support efforts to protect life and freedom.
Only with prayer and positive action can we be united with liberty and justice for all. In the days ahead, may we remember Psalm 46:1 which says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He is our peace. He is our strength. With His help, we can promote peace through strength and espouse policies which demonstrate that fact.
Stay strong in Christ,Carrie Stoelting and Stacie Stoelting HudzinskiSisters and Co-founders of Unite the USA
Under the banner of lies spewed by Putin, Russia invaded Ukraine and thousands of innocent people have been violently killed. Vladimir Putin is a murderous, evil dictator who believes he can do anything. This tyranny must be stopped. So far the Biden administration has done practically nothing.
At the most basic level, we need to help our allies with supplies. We need to strengthen our military and defense. It is time to finally become energy independent through our country’s own vast resources. And we need to command a strong presence among world leaders.
It’s time for the United States to lead like Ronald Reagan: We must lead by peace through strength.
President Reagan described the role of the United States so well: “Meeting this mission, this responsibility for preserving the peace which, I believe is a responsibility peculiar to our country, that we cannot shirk our responsibility as the leader of the free world because we’re the only one that can do it. And, therefore, the burden of maintaining the peace falls on us. And to maintain that peace requires strength. America has never gotten an award because we were too strong.”
In this edition, we are grateful for the opportunity to feature an article by Karna Small Bodman, who served as President Reagan’s director of his National Security Council staff. We encourage you to read her insightful article featured in this edition; you will learn more about how President Reagan’s wise policy of peace through strength would influence today’s current events.
We all need to pray for Ukraine, the United States, and the world. We need to vote this November for leaders who support the principles of peace through strength and a strong America. We need to support efforts to protect life and freedom.
Only with prayer and positive action can we be united with liberty and justice for all. In the days ahead, may we remember Psalm 46:1 which says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” He is our peace. He is our strength. With His help, we can promote peace through strength and espouse policies which demonstrate that fact.
Stay strong in Christ,Carrie Stoelting and Stacie Stoelting HudzinskiSisters and Co-founders of Unite the USA
Featured Bible Verse
"The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace." (Psalm 29:11)
With the tragic situation in Ukraine, many seem ready to listen about how to promote peace. This edition encourages and educates fellow Americans to understand how peace through strength works and how important it is to vote accordingly in 2022. We encourage you to read this special edition of Unite the USA to learn more about how peace through strength is effective and why it is important especially at this time.
Let us state it succinctly: Peace through strength occurs when the force for good is obviously stronger militarily than the bad so that it intimidates the bad forces (i.e. Russia) to act far less aggressively. In this manner, peace through strength guards against full world war.
We hope this edition is shared with many to educate and encourage our fellow Americans to take positive action, pray, and vote accordingly in 2022.. -Stacie and Carrie
Let us state it succinctly: Peace through strength occurs when the force for good is obviously stronger militarily than the bad so that it intimidates the bad forces (i.e. Russia) to act far less aggressively. In this manner, peace through strength guards against full world war.
We hope this edition is shared with many to educate and encourage our fellow Americans to take positive action, pray, and vote accordingly in 2022.. -Stacie and Carrie
Pray for Ukraine and Beyond
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President Ronald Reagan: Peace Through Strength
In His Own Words
You will feel proud to be an American after listening to the words of Ronald Reagan in this video. Following a dark season in our history, Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States and he led our country to higher ground. We believe that there is hope for our future.
A Lesson on Peace Through Strength
Peace through strength works. Learn more about this important policy supported by President Reagan and how his strong backing of the military encouraged peace and freedom.
Featured Quote
"We maintain the peace through our strength; weakness only invites aggression." -President Ronald Reagan
Unite the USA's
Featured Veteran of the Month: Leo Thorsness
Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient
What would Reagan do about Russia's invasion of Ukraine — and could he have prevented it?
By Karna Small Bodman
Having the honor of serving six years in the Ronald Reagan White House, as deputy press secretary then senior director of his National Security Council staff, I've had friends — distraught over the plight of Ukrainians under attack by the murderous Vladimir Putin — ask me: “What do you think President Reagan would have done?”
I would not presume to “know” what would be in the mind of the best president in my lifetime, but I can reflect on many of his instincts and actions, especially his commitment to freedom and use of the phrase “We Win, They Lose,” when it came to dealing with the (then) Soviet Union.
First, he believed in leading by example. One of his first acts as president was to propose a large increase in our depleted defense budget to show the world he truly meant to achieve “Peace Through Strength.”
Second, he worked to enhance our country’s and Europe’s energy resources by supporting the Alaska pipeline, reducing regulations, pushing for more drilling on federal lands, encouraging the Netherlands and Norway to develop new natural gas resources while stopping an early Russian pipeline.
Third, when presented with an opportunity to help countries yearning for freedom from the Soviet yoke, he set up a then-secret operation with Lech Walesa and Pope John Paul II to shore up the Solidarity Union Movement with funds, communications, and enhanced intelligence, thus laying the groundwork for their uprising and eventual declaration of Poland’s independence.
Fourth, he pioneered a breakthrough program to develop a missile defense system, then worked with allies to deploy the technology to stop missile attacks in many parts of the world.
So what about now? Let’s see how those principles might have prevented the assault on Ukraine. Here is what I believe Reagan would not have done:
He would not have offered a minuscule raise in the defense budget [while adding] trillions more for domestic spending, which is raising inflation to historic levels and shows our enemies we’re simply not serious about maintaining the best defense ever.
He would not have directed the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and abandoned Americans and thousands of Afghans who aided our forces there, indicating his weakness and fecklessness.
He would not have been so slow to send anti-tank Javelins, Stingers, other missile defense systems and fighter jets to Ukraine when it was obvious long ago from Putin’s declarations that his aim was to reconstitute the Soviet Union.
He would not have unilaterally sabotaged our energy independence, killing the Keystone pipeline, cancelling permits and increasing regulations, necessitating our continued importation of Russian oil and gas.
He would not have waited to sanction Russia’s financial systems, oligarchs and Putin himself, but worked with allies to put them in place before any invasion, saying that they would only be lifted after Russian troops were withdrawn.
Reagan’s actions would have echoed Wayne Gretzky’s line, “You don’t skate to the puck; you skate to where the puck is going to be.”
Granted, we're now sending more aid and arms to Ukraine. But we all pray it isn’t “too little, too late” as the brave Ukrainians fight on to save their country.
Having the honor of serving six years in the Ronald Reagan White House, as deputy press secretary then senior director of his National Security Council staff, I've had friends — distraught over the plight of Ukrainians under attack by the murderous Vladimir Putin — ask me: “What do you think President Reagan would have done?”
I would not presume to “know” what would be in the mind of the best president in my lifetime, but I can reflect on many of his instincts and actions, especially his commitment to freedom and use of the phrase “We Win, They Lose,” when it came to dealing with the (then) Soviet Union.
First, he believed in leading by example. One of his first acts as president was to propose a large increase in our depleted defense budget to show the world he truly meant to achieve “Peace Through Strength.”
Second, he worked to enhance our country’s and Europe’s energy resources by supporting the Alaska pipeline, reducing regulations, pushing for more drilling on federal lands, encouraging the Netherlands and Norway to develop new natural gas resources while stopping an early Russian pipeline.
Third, when presented with an opportunity to help countries yearning for freedom from the Soviet yoke, he set up a then-secret operation with Lech Walesa and Pope John Paul II to shore up the Solidarity Union Movement with funds, communications, and enhanced intelligence, thus laying the groundwork for their uprising and eventual declaration of Poland’s independence.
Fourth, he pioneered a breakthrough program to develop a missile defense system, then worked with allies to deploy the technology to stop missile attacks in many parts of the world.
So what about now? Let’s see how those principles might have prevented the assault on Ukraine. Here is what I believe Reagan would not have done:
He would not have offered a minuscule raise in the defense budget [while adding] trillions more for domestic spending, which is raising inflation to historic levels and shows our enemies we’re simply not serious about maintaining the best defense ever.
He would not have directed the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and abandoned Americans and thousands of Afghans who aided our forces there, indicating his weakness and fecklessness.
He would not have been so slow to send anti-tank Javelins, Stingers, other missile defense systems and fighter jets to Ukraine when it was obvious long ago from Putin’s declarations that his aim was to reconstitute the Soviet Union.
He would not have unilaterally sabotaged our energy independence, killing the Keystone pipeline, cancelling permits and increasing regulations, necessitating our continued importation of Russian oil and gas.
He would not have waited to sanction Russia’s financial systems, oligarchs and Putin himself, but worked with allies to put them in place before any invasion, saying that they would only be lifted after Russian troops were withdrawn.
Reagan’s actions would have echoed Wayne Gretzky’s line, “You don’t skate to the puck; you skate to where the puck is going to be.”
Granted, we're now sending more aid and arms to Ukraine. But we all pray it isn’t “too little, too late” as the brave Ukrainians fight on to save their country.
About the Author
Karna Small Bodman served six years in The White House, first as Deputy Press Secretary, later as Senior Director of the National Security Council. She was also on the air for 15 years as a TV News Reporter and Anchor in San Francisco, Washington, DC and did political commentary for the ABC network in New York.